(I hope I’m wording this right, so forgive me if I’m not understanding something)
I’m using several resources to start learning Japanese, including grammars that I’m probably not advanced enough to use since this will be my sixth language and I understand grammar pretty well normally. But よこ and となり seem to have relatively similar uses yet end up on either side of の…
X のよこ, but となりの X. I inferred this from Duo, but haven’t been able to find a reference in Makino/Tsutsui that explains this. Is there a reason, or am I misunderstanding something?
1 comment
Both mean “next (to)”
よこ is used if the two things are in different classes: a house and a car, a person and a mailbox…
となり is for things in the same class: two people, to cars, two houses…
Xのとなり・よこ is “next to the X”
郵便局は銀行のとなりです。The post office is next to the bank.
ねこの よこに えんぴつけずりが あります。There is a pencil sharpener next to the cat.
となりのX would be “X next to” or “the X next door.”
となりの人は日本人です。The person next door/person next to me is Japanese.
よこの can mean “side.”
よこの出口から出て行きます。I’ll leave through the side door.